Board Meeting,  Events,  Neighborhood

2021 LHiNC Board Candidates

Voting for LHiNC Board Candidates is now closed. Thank you to all who participated. We will announce new board members on October 20, 2021.

Thank you to all the Linden Hills residents who applied to be a part of the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council and to serve their community! Below are bios of the 8 candidates who are running for the LHiNC board this year. You can also watch the Candidate Statements from the October 12th Annual Meeting on LHiNC’s YouTube Channel.

LHiNC is a group of 15 board members elected by the community, with half the seats filled each year. Board members serve a 2-year term.

Bonnie Bolton

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

I was a VP on the board of directors for two Fortune 500 companies and retired 20 years ago. Since then:

  • I have had a therapy dog and volunteered for Can Do Canines;
  • was a board member of the Linden Hills Business Association for a few years;  
  • was a board member on Linden Hills Neighborhood Council for a few years;
  • I captain 2 summer tennis teams and 2 winter tennis teams; and
  • I worked at the Bibelot Shoppes for 18 years before they sold to Good Things 3 years ago.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

I love this neighborhood that’s why when I retired I moved back after 40 years. My hope is to keep Linden Hills as friendly and beautiful as always.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

  • Organized
  • Marketing
  • Volunteer facilitator
  • Planning

Tomm Hanson

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

I’m a father of two, an eight-month-old daughter and a two-year-old son, so my activities involve changing diapers, running around after kids, working and playing hockey with a group of guys on Wednesday nights. We recently moved to Linden Hills from a home we had for nearly twenty years in Armatage. I’m interested in getting actively engaged within the community and feel that this would be a great opportunity to do so.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

Being new to the neighborhood, my wife and I were hoping to find ways to meet our new neighbors and get involved in the community. Other than seeing our immediate neighbors outside from time to time, we really have not found that. I hope to be able to help to grow this connection to the neighborhood and being newcomers I think I am able to offer an interesting perspective on how that can be done. Safety and security in the neighborhood is very important to me.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

I’m an analyst for Wells Fargo and actively involved in the management of family-owned real estate.

Artemis Johnson

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

More than anything, I love being outdoors–hiking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, etc, so I first fell in love with Lake Harriet as a trail runner. Until a series of knee injuries forced me to give up running, Harriet was my favorite place to run every night.

Naturally, when my husband and I were ready to move to a larger space, Linden Hills was my first choice for the lake, tree-lined streets, charming architecture, and as a place where I feel safe going out alone after dark.

I’m running for LHiNC because this is our forever home, and I want to preserve the great things about it for everyone to enjoy well into the future.

I enjoy sewing, crocheting, bowling, and building/restoring furniture, and I belong to a small board game club. Last, I have a chronic health condition which can be quite debilitating when left unchecked, and I have found a lot of fulfillment in connecting with others nearby and sharing the tools–and the gluten-free recipes–to manage the symptoms and live a normal life.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

My husband and I both work in the construction industry, so we’ve seen some pretty sketchy things behind the scenes. As the historic homes in our neighborhood get older, and as the demand for housing in Minneapolis continues to increase, there will certainly be more teardowns and new construction. A big part of my desire to run for LHiNC is because I’ve seen construction on the “inside” and want to make sure that the builders and developers here are held to high standards that will be fair to the immediate neighbors, the neighborhood at large, the environment, and of course the long-term needs/expectations of the homeowners/residents themselves.

I want to keep the lake clean, want kids to be able to safely bike or play in the streets without getting hit by cars, and I think you can never plant enough trees or pollinator-friendly native plants!

One thing that has always frustrated me about Minneapolis as a whole is the ordinances that pretend elderly or disabled people don’t exist–for example, not everyone can get a sidewalk cleared the moment it stops snowing! The recent summer heat waves also make me wonder how we’ll address future heat-related emergencies–storms that knock out power can leave people without AC in life-threatening temperatures. I would like to see us take the lead on this and come up with a reliable buddy system looking out for vulnerable neighbors during these weather extremes.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

The main skill (and passion) I’ll bring is carpentry–whether you need a few extra benches for an event or would like a little free library, I’d love to help!

My other relevant skills include writing, scheduling, some Excel, and proficiency in Spanish.

My experience as a math tutor, and time spent working with teens, has helped me find clear and effective ways to explain things to people, which I think would be valuable in this setting.

Raycurt Johnson

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

I’m elated and humbled to be welcomed to this community. I have been living and thriving for thirteen months in Linden Hills. I’ve become active in cultural and artistic activities. I also have been working with a number of neighborhood businesses. This includes the Everett & Charlie Art Gallery in cooperation with Harriett Brasserie restaurant. I have performed and organized the live presentations of music for the patrons and passersby. I’m deeply involved with the George Floyd Square community by networking and fostering discussions about police reform and social and economic equity.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

As a person of color (i.e., melinated) and culturally aware, I hope that there is a sharp decline in the divisive use of human categories such as gender, religion and handicap-abilities. I believe I have conquered this problem for myself.

I came from the nation’s capital which has yet to be awarded its “Statehood”, a status toward civility. With that said, I know in practice how to navigate opposing opinions and stances. My survival in the dichotomy of this nation has elevated my reasoning toward “Bridging the Gaps,” my mantra in practice.

I do wish to participate in the awareness of an eco-friendly business expansion and education for the younger generations across the twin cities through my voice in music and artistic contributions.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

My life experience has been one of an “Urban Gypsy”, someone who has traveled many parts of our nation and the world. This experience has revealed to me diverse perspectives and ideologies. It is my conviction that music is fulfilling and a message of hope. I teach multiple musical instruments and voice live and online. I’m about to begin an interactive workshop combining the use of Bamboo from my farm in Virginia. My goal is to bring a circle of people together to celebrate our unique association of a neighborhood through music and artistry.

I strongly support sustainable businesses that clean and maintain Mother Nature.

Barbara Lunde

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

I  moved to Minneapolis eight years ago to babysit my grandchild. Now there are three. We moved to Linden Hills for the schools, from the Cedar Isles Dean Neighborhood, where I had been a board member of the neighborhood council for five years. I had worked a lot on the transportation committee. In particular, I discovered a meeting between the US Department of Transportation and our Met Council, got others to attend​, and testified myself. I also got two new benches placed at the South Beach on Cedar Lake.  I am also on the board of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society. I wrote a published article on our Solar Boat Regatta and the clear air due to COVID. I usher for the Ordway. am an assistant teacher at the Bakken Museum, do taxes with Block Advisors, and lead ushers at the USBank Stadium. 

I would consider it an honor to continue to serve on the Linden Hills board to help the neighborhood develop and give myself information about Linden Hills. I am a renter of  the duplex where I live, so I might add diversity to the board.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

My hope and goal for the neighborhood is to keep it the desirable place it is to live. Particularly, I am interested in keeping the Upper and Lower Lake Harriet Schools very desirable and occupied. I am also interested in the parks, Lake Harriet and its band shell, Lake Bde Maka Ska and Thomas Beach, and the Linden Hills Park and recreation center.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC: I  am a licensed electrical engineer, with experience in architecture. I have tax experience. I have four books in the Library of Congress. I manage paid ushers at the USBank Stadium and have managed engineers.

Bjorn Olson

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

As a current member of the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council, I continue to be eager to contribute to our community. I am a young architect, with a passion for the world we build. I am a young father, proud to take my daughters to the park, library, and Linden Hills events and engage with my neighbors. Most importantly, I am human – and having spent a few years living abroad in Switzerland  – I appreciate the openness and vitality that everyone in Linden Hills shares. What I am, my passions, are exactly what compel me to participate in the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

Linden Hills – and the City of Minneapolis – are beginning new chapters in history through the recent adoption of the 2040 Plan, and will face many new challenges and opportunities.

My concern is how to maintain the character – not just the urban fabric – but the wealth found in a diversity of people – and simultaneously adapt to market and planning pressures. I am among many people who live in Linden Hills intentionally: there are cheaper taxes, there are bigger yards, there are newer houses, with more exclusive schools – but I choose to live here to support a civic spirit; and it is exactly this spirit that makes Linden Hills one of the greatest places to live. I hope to live here my lifetime, and I hope my daughters may someday make the same choice.

It is my hope that Linden Hills can harness the aspirations of the 2040 Plan in conjunction with its Small Area Plan to develop more commercial opportunities, bring smart density, improve public-transit connections and strengthen its walkability, all the while maintaining its character and charm. In the end, it is a fairly simple goal: that everyone and anyone will always be able to walk comfortably through the neighborhood, meeting friends and strangers alike, picking up a book, ice cream, coffee, and/or sandwich for a beautiful time at the Lake.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

  • Know how to put up a Beer Tent, and pour said liquid.
  • Architectural: past experience includes housing. Presently work with Public/Civic Architecture firm as licensed Architect
  • Urban Planning: close colleagues are Urban Planners within the City of Minneapolis and other planning agencies in the State of Minnesota.
  • Financial Analysis: received Bachelor’s degree in Economic Analysis and understand / utilize financial systems, practices, and tools.
  • Sustainability: LEED accredited professional
  • Willing to contribute in any capacity: be it monitoring trash/recycling/compost bins, educating regarding trash/recycling/composting, moving dirt, or facilitating meetings and events.

Ally Seal

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

Hello! My name is Ally Seal, and I am new to the Linden Hills neighborhood. As a Minnesotan at heart, I loved growing up in Minnetonka, then spent the last few years in Hopkins. When we had the chance to move into the neighborhood, I knew it was too good to pass up.

I love walking the neighborhood and trying all of the great restaurants in the Minneapolis area. I have two dogs, Penny and Pepper, and love to take them on walks around the lakes. In my downtime at home, I love to bake, read and spend time with friends and family.

Professionally, I work for U.S. Bank on the cobranded credit card team. I’ve loved partnering with their student outreach organization. Plus, in the mornings, you can find me teaching classes at Corepower Yoga in St. Louis Park and Edina.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

As a newer transplant to Linden Hills, my hopes as part of the council would be two-fold. I’m thrilled to see how wildly passionate our neighbors are about improving the neighborhood, and I hope to empower and enable them to pursue growth opportunities that benefit the community. Secondly, I personally hope to be more engaged in the community events that have led to such an awesome area – I got my first taste at the Linden Hills Festival, and I’m excited to continue the momentum!

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

My background is predominately in project management, marketing and communications. I have experience using a variety of email and social media management platforms through my professional experience.

Daniel Wenger

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC:

I’m new resident of Linden Hills, and am looking for a way to get involved in the neighborhood and give back some of my time. I’m currently a full-time MBA student at the U of MN, and when out of class I love to stay active outdoors. Depending on the season, I’m an avid sailor (Bde Maka Ska), climber, and snowboarder. Within Carlson I’m a board member of the Energy Club and the Outdoor Adventure Club, and a member of the consulting club. Outside of school, I’m also a member of and volunteer at the Minnesota Tool Library.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

As a newer member of the neighborhood, I’ve been amazed by how welcoming and livable our community is. I’d like to contribute to the LHiNC in any way I can to ensure the community remains vibrant for many years to come! I hope I can bring a unique perspective and skillset to a committee, along with plenty of drive, to help move the council’s current goals forward, particularly around fostering a sustainable community.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

If my skills can be of use, I would be most interested in joining the Finance or Sustainability committees (although I’d truly be happy to help wherever there’s a need).

I have an undergraduate degree in Finance and have worked in the field for the past six years (however likely in a different capacity than what LHiNC would find most helpful). Within the MBA program, I hope to gain experience that would be broadly applicable to an organization such as LHiNC, however as I’m only two months into the program I don’t want to overstate my current experience. However, over the next two years I would be really excited to use the skills I am developing in the program to contribute to LHiNC.

In my professional experience, I worked within CHS’s energy group for six years. I worked with both legacy energy production (refined fuels) and sustainable generation. Within sustainability, I helped CHS define what sustainability meant for the company and begin to identify focus areas for improvement. I worked directly with outside companies to evaluate renewable generation projects on CHS buildings and land. While none of the projects moved forward before I left this fall, I gained valuable experience and have a passion for the work. I’m continuing this focus while at school, by holding a leadership role in the Energy Club which evaluates, and advocates for, sustainable projects at the U and throughout Minneapolis. I would love to use that knowledge as a member of the sustainability committee at LHiNC, in support of residential instillations throughout our neighborhood.